Ellen Beardmore

It’s not often that a chicken gravy is worth raving on about. The side dish at Lucky Fox on Ecclesall Road is a different story.

Luck Fox Restaurant on Ecclesall road

Thick, sticky and intensely meaty - there were shreds of chicken in there, and an extra ingredient (bacon) adding a punch of salt to the home made stock.

For £3, you could really just buy a pot of this and take it home to devour with a loaf of bread.

I’d heard great things about the US-inspired diner - including from Americans living in Sheffield, who use it for their fried chicken fix - and the second branch opened earlier this year.

But I couldn’t quite comprehend how such a savoury dish would work with sweet waffles. Somehow, it did.

The chicken came in a dark, crunchy crust, not overly spiced, and still with moist meat within.

Fluffy waffles worked well with both a creamy cinnamon butter and a proper ‘kick you in the tongue’ hot sauce laden with cayenne pepper - which my friend Luke soon identified as Frank’s.

He found his ‘chick n fries’ (£6.50) mixed - with succulent chicken but not enough peri peri seasoning on the fries.

“It’s the best chicken gravy, as a Yorkshireman, I have ever laid my lips on”, he said, after scooping the last of it on to our shared, two cheese crinkle fries, all gooey with Red Leicester and chilli fromage.

It was something of a belt-busting relay to the end, with one exhausted diner laying down their fork, and the other picking it up until the pile of food was almost gone.

Service had been laid back and friendly. You order at the counter but it is delivered to your table.

Our cheery waitress - only on her third shift - let us know the ice cream machine had stopped halfway through, so there was a (thank God) slight delay on desserts.

The ‘fruit n’ viber’ pot (£3.50) was worth the wait. Fresh, vanilla packed ice cream was topped with fruits, chunks of shortbread and popping candy that left two 30-year-olds in fits of laughter. His plump French toast had a great texture but not much taste, until covered in the sticky maple syrup and fresh strawberries.

Famous menu items at the original Division Street venue - mac and cheese, freak shakes and booze - are not yet at Ecclesall Road, but supervisor Chad Beach said they would be there soon.

For just £35 for a Friday night feast, including drinks, we will be back to try them.

Star rating out of five:

Food: 4

Service: 4

Atmosphere: 3

Value: 5

Three more to choose from:

The Common Room, Division Street The Cabin, The Moor Uncle Sam’s, Ecclesall Road